The new subscription service will reportedly merge PlayStation Plus and PlayStation Now, and work on both PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5, according to a report from Bloomberg.
PlayStation Plus Now
The new subscription service, codenamed Spartacus, is apparently Sony's answer to Microsoft's Xbox Game Pass, which has amassed 30 million subscribers, according to one partner.
- "Sony Group Corp.’s PlayStation division is planning a new subscription service to compete with rival Microsoft Corp.’s popular Xbox Game Pass, according to people familiar with Sony’s plans and documents reviewed by Bloomberg," the report said.
Sony has been operating a game streaming service, PlayStation Now, for years but the company has seemed reluctant to invest in it, whereas PlayStation Plus includes a few free monthly titles and is required for most multiplayer games.
New service would merge PlayStation Now (pictured) and PlayStation Plus
Bloomberg claims that Sony is planning to retain the PlayStation Plus branding but phase out PlayStation Now. The new service will let users pay a monthly free to get access to a catalog of new and classic games.
- "Details on Spartacus may still not be finalized, but documentation reviewed by Bloomberg outlines a service with three tiers. The first would include existing PlayStation Plus benefits. The second would offer a large catalog of PlayStation 4 and, eventually, PlayStation 5 games. The third tier would add extended demos, game streaming and a library of classic PS1, PS2, PS3 and PSP games."
It is expected to launch next spring on the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 consoles. There is no word on plans to bring the service to Smart TVs, PCs or media players like Apple TV and Nvidia Shield. Microsoft is planning to launch Xbox Game Pass on Smart TVs.
- Source: Bloomberg
